Tile.



No. 798,618. PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905. w. P. MBEKBR.

TILE.

APPLICATION rum) DBO.17. 190a.

. HHW its 0 62%; I We? UNITE I) SfllAT ES PATENT OFFICE.

TILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed December 17, 1903. Serial No. 185,462.

To ul/ H7/0IH/ if our concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM Passuomc Momma, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to facing-tiles which are provided with undercut portions upon their backs to engage with the setting cement; and my improvements are particularly directed to increasing the efficiency of the undercut interlocking portions and the facility with which the tile may be set by the workman.

I will now proceed to more fully describe my improvements, and in so doing I will refer to the drawings, wherein Figure l is a bottom view of a tile embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same; and Figs. 3, at, and 5 are respectively bottom, side, and end views of a modified form.

Similar reference-letters designate similar parts in all the figures.

The tile-body A is preferably formed of a vitreous material, and part of the back is raised and undercut, so as to overhang the adjacent portion. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 there are two raised portions B B, while in the form shown in the other figures there is one raised portion C. In both instances the edges of the elevated parts are undercut.

These tile are intended to be set by sliding them laterally into position upon the setting cement, in which operation it is desirable to have the portions of the tile which are to be embedded in the cement pass readily through it in such a way that the cement shall not bank up in front of the tile, but shall either pass around the outside edge of the tile or be squeezed well into the under cuts in it. To obtain these results, I point or round off the ends of the raised portions of the tile, so that they shall pass like wedges through the cement. If a pointed end of the raised portion is placed in setting line with a forward exterior angle of the edge of the tile, as shown in Figs. 3, a, and 5, so that in setting the pointcd end of the raised portion will substantially follow the track of the forward exterior angle of the tile, the operation of setting will be still further fzwilitated, be cause any cement that may get in front of the edge of the tile will be pushed to oneside or the other in the operation of setting instead of accumulating in front of the tile.

Across the back of the tile is a small secondary bead or rib i. This rib does not necessarily coincide with the direction of the raised portion of the tile. It may do so, as shown in Figs. 3, 4t, and 5, or it may be at right angles thereto, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be at some other angle; but the rib is always so placed as to indicate a definite axis of the tile, so that the tile-setter in handling the tile may at once know by the sense of touch the proper position in which to set the tile. Furthermore, where this rib i crosses the line of the groove or undercut it performs the additional function of acting as a lock upon the cement. Thus, for instance, when the tile shown in Fig. 1 is ap plied upon the cement with an open end of the groove forward the cement will be compressed and jammed in the groove, and when it reaches the transverse rib i the cement will be checked back, so as to crowd well into the undercuts, and it will also pass over the rib, forming a clench on the farther side when hard.

It will be seen that this improved tile may be set either end forward, as it will lock on the cement when applied from either direction, and it will be understood that the contour of the raised portions of the tile may be modified without departing from the principles of my improvements.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A tile having upon its back a raised, undercut portion provided with a pointed end, and a secondary, setting guide rib or head.

2. A tile having upon its back a raised, undercut portion pointed at each end, and disposed in setting line with exterior angles of the tile.

A tile having upon its back a raised, ting guide rib or bead crossing such underundercut, pointed portion disposed 1n setcut. ting hue with an exterior angle of the tile.

4. A tile having upon its back a secondary WILLIAM PASSMORE MEEKER' 5 setting guide rib or bead. WVitnesses:

5. A tile having upon its back a raised, WM. D. NEILLEY,

undercut portion, and provided with a set- W. H. MOI-IR. 

